Prospective Monitoring for Immunotherapy by Liquid Biopsy in Head and Neck Cancer

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K21031
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0907:Oral science and related fields
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Noji Rika 東京医科歯科大学, 東京医科歯科大学病院, 医員 (30963970)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ctDNA / リキッドバイオプシー / 頭頸部癌 / 免疫チェックポイント阻害薬

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between prognostic and predictive markers of ICI therapy and treatment response in head and neck cancer patients on immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy by assessing cfDNA dynamics and treatment outcome using genomic analysis with liquid biopsy over time. A target number of 10 patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were entered in the study. We confirmed that the variation in VAF (variant allele frequency) of each gene mutation changed over the course of treatment. We confirmed that the pattern of genetic variation varied with treatment effect. The amount of tumor in the body was calculated on CT images taken at about the same time as the plasma sample collection, and a significant correlation was observed between the amount of tumor in the body and the detected VAF changes.

Free Research Field

口腔外科

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では免疫チェックポイント阻害薬治療の早期において、遺伝子変異のアリル頻度が変動を認めており、これは治療効果を早期に反映した結果であった。これにより治療恩恵を受けられない症例を早期に判別することで、有害な副作用や不要な治療コストを避けることが可能となると示唆される。本研究結果により、経時的な血液検体による網羅的遺伝子解析の有用性が示唆され、臨床における治療戦略検討の一助となると考えられる。